REGULATIONS FOR PROVIDING TELECONSULTATIONS AND VIDEO CONSULTATIONS
Claudia Baluta-Górecka
— Individual Specialized Medical Practice - Holistica
Version: 1.0 | Effective date: 1 May 2026
§ 1. General provisions
These Regulations specify the rules for providing health services in the form of telephone teleconsultations and video consultations by the individual specialized medical practice conducted under the business name Claudia Baluta-Górecka — indywidualna specjalistyczna praktyka lekarska — HOLISTICA, hereinafter referred to as the "Practice".
The Practice operates under the brand "Holistica". The Practice is run by MD Claudia Baluta-Górecka, specialist in psychiatry, holding the professional license number 1532343, NIP 7251793243, REGON 101512578, with its registered office at: ul. Pustynna 53 lok. R, 93-479 Łódź, e-mail: kontakt@holistica.pl, tel. 730 888 010, hereinafter referred to as the "Physician".
These Regulations apply to health services provided using ICT systems or communication systems, in particular telephone, video connection, the Medfile system, the ZnanyLekarz/DocPlanner platform, electronic mail and other organizational channels permitted by the Practice.
The Regulations should be applied together with the Practice's organizational regulations, the GDPR (RODO) information clause for the patient, the privacy policy, the procedure for providing medical records, the standards for the protection of minors and documents provided to the patient before the visit.
In matters not regulated by these Regulations, generally applicable legal provisions shall apply, in particular provisions concerning medical activity, the practice of the medical profession, patients' rights, medical records, medical confidentiality and personal data protection.
§ 2. Scope of services provided as teleconsultations
The Practice provides outpatient specialized health services in the field of psychiatry to adults and adolescents from the age of 13.
Within teleconsultations and video consultations, the following may in particular be provided: initial and follow-up psychiatric consultations, continuation of psychiatric treatment, assessment of mental health status, medical recommendations, psychoeducation and general recommendations supporting nervous system regulation, including elements of therapeutic yoga and mindfulness, e-prescriptions, e-referrals, e-ZLA, certificates or other medical documents, where there are medical and legal grounds to do so.
Elements of therapeutic yoga and mindfulness, if discussed as part of a teleconsultation, are of an auxiliary, psychoeducational and supportive nature. They do not constitute an independent rehabilitation service, psychotherapy, crisis intervention or a substitute for psychiatric treatment, pharmacotherapy, urgent medical assistance or an in-person physical examination. Their use depends on the Physician's assessment, the patient's health condition, the safety of performing recommendations remotely and the possibility of providing such guidance in accordance with current medical knowledge.
Services are provided personally by the Physician, with due diligence, in accordance with current medical knowledge, professional ethics and with respect for patient rights.
A teleconsultation or video consultation does not replace a service that requires an in-person physical examination of the patient or assistance provided in a life- or health-threatening emergency.
The Physician always assesses whether it is possible to provide the service remotely in a given case. If the nature of the matter, the patient's condition, technical limitations or the inability to reliably identify the patient prevent the safe provision of a remote service, the Physician may refuse to conduct the teleconsultation, terminate it prematurely or recommend another form of assistance.
§ 3. Registration for a teleconsultation
Registration for a teleconsultation may take place via the Practice's website, an online registration system, the Medfile calendar, the ZnanyLekarz/DocPlanner platform, by telephone, by e-mail or in another organizational manner permitted by the Practice.
When registering, the patient provides data necessary to schedule the appointment, for organizational contact, patient identification and maintaining medical records, in particular first and last name, PESEL or date of birth, telephone number and e-mail address. In the case of a minor patient, the details of the legal representative are also provided.
Before the first visit, the patient receives or is given access to: the Teleconsultation Regulations, the GDPR (RODO) information clause for the patient, information about fees, consent to teleconsultation and the authorization form to obtain information about the health condition or access to medical records.
The patient should confirm that they have read the Regulations and the GDPR (RODO) information clause before the start of the first teleconsultation. Confirmation may be made, in particular, by ticking a checkbox, confirmation in the system, an e-mail, an electronic signature, a handwritten signature or by noting it in the medical records.
A reservation becomes binding after it is confirmed by the Practice, and if prepayment is required for a given service — after it has been made or in accordance with the rules communicated to the patient during registration.
The patient is obliged to remain at the indicated telephone number or be ready for a video connection at the agreed time and to ensure conditions that allow a confidential and secure consultation.
§ 4. Minor patients
The Practice provides health services to adolescents from the age of 13.
For a patient under 16 years of age, consent to provide health services in the form of a teleconsultation is given by the legal representative. The minor should be heard appropriately to their age, degree of maturity and health condition.
For a patient aged 16 and over, as a rule the consent of the legal representative and the consent of the minor patient themselves are required, in accordance with medical law.
If the position of the legal representative and the patient aged 16 or over differ, the Physician acts in accordance with applicable law; a teleconsultation cannot replace a required legal basis for providing the service.
Before starting a teleconsultation with a minor, the Physician verifies the identity of the patient and the person acting on their behalf, as well as the basis for that person's participation in the teleconsultation.
An actual caregiver may give consent only to the extent permitted by law. In matters requiring the consent of the legal representative, the mere action of an actual caregiver may be insufficient.
The Practice exercises particular caution in contacts with minor patients, taking into account the Practice's applicable Standards for the Protection of Minors.
§ 5. Technical conditions and confidentiality requirements
The patient should provide a device enabling audio or audio-video connection, a stable internet connection or the ability to receive telephone calls, up-to-date contact details and conditions ensuring the confidentiality of the conversation.
The patient should be located in a place that allows a free conversation with the Physician, without the presence of unauthorized persons, unless their participation is necessary or has been accepted by the patient and the Physician.
During the teleconsultation the patient should not drive, operate machinery or perform other activities that prevent safe, conscious and confidential participation in the consultation.
At the beginning of the teleconsultation the patient should provide their current location and an emergency contact telephone number if the Physician deems this necessary for safety reasons.
The Practice is not responsible for the inability to conduct a teleconsultation resulting from technical problems, lack of confidentiality, lack of readiness to connect or other circumstances on the patient's side, subject to mandatory legal provisions.
§ 6. Identity verification and consent to the service
Before the teleconsultation begins, the Physician verifies the patient's identity, and in the case of a minor patient also the identity and authorization of the person acting on their behalf.
Verification may be carried out in particular on the basis of data provided at registration and data in medical records, verification questions, contact via a channel known to the Practice or by presenting an identity document to the camera during a video consultation.
The Practice does not make or store copies of identity documents shown to the camera for ordinary identification during a teleconsultation.
If there are doubts about the identity of the patient, the legal representative or a person participating in the teleconsultation, the Physician may withhold commencement of the service, propose video verification, another appointment or another form of contact.
Before providing the service, the patient, and in the case of a minor patient the appropriate authorized person, should give consent to the provision of health services in the form of a teleconsultation.
Consent to a teleconsultation may be given via an online form, a checkbox, a signed document, an e-mail, confirmation in the system or orally during the teleconsultation, with a note of this fact in the medical records.
The patient has the right to refuse consent to a remote service. Such refusal may result in the inability to provide the service as a teleconsultation and the necessity to use another form of assistance.
§ 7. Course of the teleconsultation
The teleconsultation takes place at the agreed time via the agreed communication channel, in particular by telephone or video connection.
At the beginning of the teleconsultation, the Physician may confirm the patient's details, location, emergency contact details, the presence of other persons and the patient's consent to their participation.
A third party may participate in the teleconsultation of an adult patient only with the patient's consent. This consent should be given before the substantive part begins and may be recorded in the medical records.
During the teleconsultation, the patient should provide true, up-to-date and complete information relevant to the assessment of health, in particular concerning symptoms, medications taken, treatment history, comorbidities, risks and emergency situations.
Medical records are prepared from the course of the teleconsultation with a note on the form in which the service was provided and the communication channel used.
Teleconsultations are not recorded by the Practice unless the patient gives separate consent or a retention obligation arises from law. The patient should not record or share the teleconsultation in a way that violates the Physician's rights, medical confidentiality, personal rights or the rights of others.
The Practice does not use AI tools to make diagnostic or therapeutic decisions. Any use of tools supporting work that involve patient data requires separate information, risk assessment and compliance with data protection requirements.
§ 8. Connection interruption, technical failures and refusal to conduct a teleconsultation
In the event of a disconnection during a teleconsultation, the Physician will attempt to re-establish contact as soon as possible, generally within 15 minutes from the time of disconnection.
If resuming the connection via the same channel is not possible, the Physician may contact the patient via an agreed alternative channel, in particular by telephone or organizationally by e-mail, solely to determine the further method of delivering the service.
If the teleconsultation cannot be safely or medically properly conducted or completed, the Physician may set a new appointment, propose another form of contact, recommend an in-person visit with another provider or refer the patient to an appropriate form of assistance.
The Physician may refuse to start or continue a teleconsultation in particular when: the patient's or representative's identity could not be reliably confirmed; the basis for a third party's participation cannot be established; the patient does not ensure confidentiality; the patient is in a condition requiring direct examination or urgent help; the contact is aggressive, abusive or prevents provision of the service in accordance with the rules of medical practice.
Disconnection, refusal to start or early termination of a teleconsultation for medical, technical or organizational reasons may be recorded in the medical records.
§ 9. Emergencies and limitations of teleconsultation
A teleconsultation is not an appropriate form of assistance in a life- or health-threatening emergency.
In the event of an immediate threat to life or health, the patient or accompanying person should immediately call the emergency number 112 or go to the nearest Emergency Department or admissions room.
In the case of a psychological crisis, the patient may also use available crisis assistance, including the helpline 116 123, if appropriate to the situation and provided it does not delay calling for help in an emergency.
If during the teleconsultation the Physician forms a justified suspicion of a life- or health-threatening emergency, they inform the patient or their guardian about the need to urgently call for help or use an in-person service, and record the actions taken in the medical records.
§ 10. Prescriptions, e-documents and post-visit contact
Issuing an e-prescription, e-ZLA, e-referral, certificate, opinion or other medical document occurs only after the Physician assesses the patient's health and the justification for such action, based on the teleconsultation, video consultation or analysis of medical records, if legally permissible and medically sufficient.
The Practice does not guarantee issuance of an e-prescription or other medical document solely at the patient's request, without medical assessment.
Post-visit contact is primarily intended for organizational matters and medical issues that can lawfully and medically be dealt with without a full visit after an appropriate assessment by the Physician.
Social media, public comments and open messengers are not for transmitting medical data, individual consultations or reporting emergencies.
The Practice may contact the patient regarding organizational matters related to the provision of the service, in particular to confirm the visit, send a link to the teleconsultation, change the appointment time, provide payment information or convey other information necessary for service handling. Additional reminders and contact channel preferences may depend on the patient's choices.
§ 11. Canceling appointments, lateness and payments
The Practice provides health services on a paid basis and does not provide services financed from public funds under an agreement with the National Health Fund.
Service prices, payment methods and special settlement rules are provided to the patient before booking, in particular in the price list, online registration system or information given when arranging the appointment.
Payment may be required before the visit begins if the patient was informed of this at registration.
The patient may cancel or change an appointment no later than 24 hours before the scheduled time, unless more favorable rules were communicated for a given service.
If the appointment is canceled later than 24 hours before the scheduled time or the patient fails to appear for the teleconsultation without prior notice, the Practice may retain the collected fee or charge the patient for the reserved time if the patient was clearly informed of this rule prior to booking.
A patient being more than 10 minutes late may result in shortening the service time, rescheduling or being considered a no-show, if required by the Practice's operations.
If a teleconsultation did not take place solely due to reasons on the Practice's side, the patient will be offered a new appointment or another appropriate solution in accordance with the law, the price list and the information provided at registration.
If the technical problem is on the patient's side and prevents the provision of the service despite attempts to contact them, further actions and any settlements will follow the rules communicated to the patient before booking.
§ 12. Medical records and authorizations
The Practice maintains patients' medical records in accordance with applicable law, preserving medical confidentiality and data security principles.
Medical records are kept electronically, using the Medfile system and other legally compliant IT solutions used by the Practice.
The patient has the right to access medical records and the right to authorize others to access the records or obtain information about health status and services provided.
An authorization may be submitted on the Practice's form or in another manner allowing reliable identification of the person making the declaration and the authorized person.
Disclosure of medical records takes place after positive verification of the identity and entitlement of the requesting person, in the forms and within the deadlines provided by law and the Practice's procedure for providing medical records.
In an online-operating practice, the primary method of fulfilling a request may be secure electronic transfer of records with safeguards appropriate to the risk, in particular file protection and providing the password via a different communication channel.
The first disclosure of medical records to the patient or their legal representative in the requested scope is free in cases provided by law. Subsequent disclosures may be subject to a fee in accordance with applicable provisions and the Practice's price list.
§ 13. Patient rights and obligations
The patient has the right in particular to:
health services provided with due diligence, in accordance with current medical knowledge;
information about their health, diagnosis, proposed and possible diagnostic and therapeutic methods, the consequences of their application or omission and treatment outcomes;
to give or refuse consent to the provision of health services, on the terms provided by law;
respect for privacy and dignity;
confidentiality of information related to them;
access to medical records;
filing complaints, claims and requests regarding the Practice's operation.
The patient is obliged in particular to:
provide true, up-to-date and complete information relevant to the diagnostic and therapeutic process;
inform about medications taken, illnesses, adverse reactions, risks and significant changes in health;
follow the Physician's recommendations or inform the Physician about the inability to follow them;
ensure the technical and organizational conditions necessary to conduct the remote service;
adhere to scheduled appointment times and the rules for canceling them;
timely pay fees for health services;
not use social media or public communication channels to report emergencies, transmit medical records or obtain individual medical advice.
§ 14. Complaints, claims and requests
The patient has the right to submit complaints, claims and requests concerning the Practice's operation, organization of services, payments, technical problems, communication methods, patient rights and other matters related to the provision of services.
Submissions may be made in writing to the Practice's address or electronically to kontakt@holistica.pl.
The notification should, where possible, include data enabling identification of the patient and the matter, the date of the event or teleconsultation, a description of objections and the expected method of resolving the matter.
A complaint, claim or request does not replace a medical visit, medical consultation or emergency proceedings. If the content of the notification indicates a threat to life or health, the patient should immediately seek help at 112, an ED or another appropriate provider.
Complaints, claims and requests are considered without undue delay, generally no later than within 14 working days from receipt, unless the nature of the matter requires additional information or explanations.
If the notification concerns a possible violation of patient rights, the patient may be informed about the possibility of contacting the Patient Ombudsman. If the notification concerns personal data protection, appropriate data protection procedures shall also apply.
§ 15. Personal data, confidentiality
The data controller of patients' personal data is Claudia Baluta-Górecka conducting business under the name Claudia Baluta-Górecka — indywidualna specjalistyczna praktyka lekarska — HOLISTICA.
Patients' personal data are processed in particular for the purpose of providing health services, maintaining medical records, fulfilling legal obligations, organizational service handling, settlements and protecting the Practice's rights.
Processing of health-related data takes place primarily on the legal bases resulting from applicable law, in particular provisions concerning medical activity, medical records and patient rights, and not on the basis of the patient's consent as the primary basis for treatment.
Data may be processed using IT systems serving appointment registration and medical records management, in particular Medfile, ZnanyLekarz/DocPlanner, electronic mail, telephone and the Practice's website, to the extent compliant with legal provisions and data protection documentation.
Detailed information on processing of personal data, patients' rights regarding data and data recipients are provided in the GDPR (RODO) information clause for the patient and the privacy policy.
The Practice does not conduct medical consultations on social media or in public comments. Such channels may be used only for general, educational or organizational information.
§ 16. Final provisions
The Regulations are made available to patients on the Practice's website, in the "For the patient" section, in the site footer, with registration information or in another manner enabling familiarization with them before the first teleconsultation.
The Practice may amend the Regulations in particular in the event of changes in law, the organization of services, IT systems, contact details, payment rules or the scope of services provided.
Teleconsultations registered before amendments to the Regulations shall be subject to the rules communicated to the patient at booking, unless the change is beneficial to the patient or results from mandatory legal provisions.
In matters not regulated by the Regulations, generally applicable provisions of Polish law shall apply, in particular relating to medical activity, the practice of the medical profession, patients' rights, medical records, personal data protection and consumer rights, if applicable.
Disputes arising from the use of teleconsultations shall be resolved by the court competent in accordance with applicable law.
Łódź, 1 May 2026